Tragedy Deepens as Indonesian Educational Institution Structural Failure Fatalities Rises to 54
News Agency
The number of fatalities from the collapse of an educational facility in Indonesia has climbed to 54, as confirmed by officials, with emergency responders still looking for over twelve unaccounted persons.
Hundreds students, primarily adolescent males, had gathered for religious services at the Islamic boarding school in Eastern Java when the building collapsed while undergoing construction.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency characterizes this as the nation's deadliest catastrophe this year. Emergency workers are expected to complete their search operation for 13 victims ensnared beneath the rubble by day's end.
Investigation Underway into Structural Failure
Authorities are continuing to probe the reason behind the structural failure. Some officials indicated the two-storey building collapsed due to an unstable foundation.
"Among all the disasters in 2025, whether natural or man-made, there has not occurred as numerous fatalities as the ones in Sidoarjo," declared a deputy from the emergency management authority during a press conference.
The overall number encompasses at least two individuals who were extracted from the debris but later succumbed in medical care.
School Background and Regulatory Concerns
The institution is a traditional religious educational center in Indonesia, commonly known as a pesantren.
Many pesantren operate informally, lacking comprehensive oversight or consistent monitoring. It remains unclear whether the school had proper authorization to undertake additional construction.
Rescue Challenges
Search and rescue operations have faced difficulties due to the manner the building fell, leaving only narrow voids for emergency personnel to operate within, authorities reported last week.
Eyewitness Reports
Those who escaped have shared their harrowing survival stories with local media.
One teenage eyewitness recalled first "noticing the sound of collapsing materials", which "intensified and more intense".
The adolescent quickly rushed for the exit, and while he successfully got out, he was injured by falling debris from the roof.